Behind the care: Danielle Ashley
Meet Danielle, a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Adolescent Health and Transition, and learn how she supports young people as they move from children’s to adult healthcare services.
What is your role?
I am a clinical nurse specialist for adolescent health and transition. My role is funded by Evelina London Children’s Charity to establish a new transition service for young people moving from children’s to adult services in the community and in hospitals. Currently, it’s not very fair as some patients are being offered transition support and some are not. We want to change that. My job is to look at and improve the current service provision to make sure the Trust meets national standards for transition care. This is done in lots of ways, including creating a new checklist for young people with special educational needs, and organising events for young people to see what support they can access in adulthood.
Tell us about a typical day
My working week varies depending on the needs of the service. Some days, I run clinics where I support young people and their families to prepare for the move to adult services. I work closely with their multidisciplinary team to ensure patients receive the best possible care and that they are referred to any specialist teams they may need. Collaboration is key to improving outcomes, so I work a lot with senior leaders across health, education, and social care.
"Without this service, young people with complex needs or learning disability just go to their GP and they can sometimes get a bit lost and not have the support that they need."
What’s the best thing about your job?
The best part of my job is being able to bring in positive changes that truly make a difference to young people and their families. I love seeing how my work helps the patient and sets them up for the future during such a crucial stage of their healthcare journey. Knowing that the work I do directly contributes to smoother transitions, better communication between services, and improved confidence among young people moving into adult care is what makes this role so meaningful and fulfilling.
With your support, we can fund specialist roles like Danielle’s, ensuring more young people at Evelina London receive the transitional support they need.